The African National Congress's (ANC's) National Executive Committee (NEC) has asked for a review of party structures in three "problem" provinces, including Western Cape, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Saturday.

Mantashe, speaking to reporters at a press briefing following the NEC quarterly meeting in Esselen Park Johannesburg, said the Eastern Cape, the North West Province and the Western Cape were already under scrutiny.

"We have already reported to you that there were problems in these provinces," he said.

These three provinces will be visited by the National Working Committee which will then report back to the NEC before the end of July.

"There will be a proper review, proper information before a decision," said Mantashe.

Speculation has been rife that the NEC might decide to dissolve the Western Cape ANC provincial executive committee.

This follows reports of intra-party battles within the province and resulted in the national party deploying an election team to take over their campaign in April. Despite this, the ANC lost the province.

On Friday, the Mail & Guardian reported that sources in Western Cape's ANC leadership were unhappy they were being blamed for the party's electoral misfortune.

"Go back and tell your unnamed sources," joked Mantashe, "There is no decision on [the] Western Cape."

Mantashe said the NEC has also made decision related to provincial borders in Moutse and Matatiele.

Moutse is a municipality fighting incorporation from Mpumalanga into Limpopo. Matatiele straddles both KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.

"The preference of the ANC is that a mechanism be found to take the views of the people into account which will exclude a referendum," said Mantashe.

"A referendum would set a dangerous precedent."

The NEC also resolved to reach its goal of one-million [ANC] members by 2010. When pressed on 2010's imminent arrival, a shrewd Mantashe said that the deadline could be in December of that year.

The NEC also decided to improve its relationship with media, said Mantashe.

"[We] will work with media to change the hostile relationship from media," said Mantashe.

He said that the ANC wanted a "healthy but critical relationship."

"We don't want praise singers," said Mantashe.

Three new members have been appointed to the NEC. Ellen Nana Molekana, a long-time member of the ANC and exile, Salome Sithole, the vice-president of the South African Democratic Teacher's Union (SADTU), and Kgomotso Magau who, because she hails from Free State, would "bring geographic balance to the NEC", said Mantashe.

Meanwhile, NEC member Valli Moosa has agreed to resign his position from the NEC as it conflicts with his position as a board member of the hotel group, Sun International. Mantashe said this was in order to comply with Sun's rules that a board member may not currently hold a political position.

Finally, the NEC, Mantashe said, also praised President Jacob Zuma for his "tireless" work during the campaign.

"He was better than [US President Barack] Obama," joked Mantashe.